Parseltongue
by Hazel Sage
Summary: A collection of multiple people's reactions to Harry being a Parselmouth. First up is Piers Polkiss, next is Ginny Potter, future chapters have been thought of; updates will be sporadic
1. Piers Polkiss

**Story Summary: This story will be many instances of Harry using his Parseltongue in front of people who may or may not be surprised by his snake-speaking skills. I got the idea because I think that Parseltongue is kind of the coolest thing ever and I wish I knew someone who could speak to snakes… I just had the urge to write something about it! So here it is; updates may be sporadic, though I have at least three chapters planned.**

**Chapter Summary: Harry gets a bit of revenge on his childhood bullies.**

**A/N: This chapter actually involves a bit of an OOC Harry, in that he is more vindictive than I normally write him. This would take place either right before OotP or right after, probably after, when Harry's emotions are at his most volatile.**

Piers's POV

I snickered with satisfaction as I watched Mark Evans bolt away from our gang. Beating him up a couple days ago had been wonderful fun. The boy tried to put up a brave front with cheeky sarcasm, but he'd run if you looked at him funny. A ten-year-old prat.

Only after he left did I frown, realizing that there was no one to torment in the immediate area.

"Oi, look over there," Gordon said, pointing to the park that we'd vandalized a couple of weeks ago. "It's Potter."

I gazed at the area with a feral smile. I'd missed the old days of Harry Hunting. Potter had been bloody fast when we were younger but we still caught up with him sometimes. Now we rarely gave chase. The kid had become moody and withdrawn – God knows where he went sometimes. Dudley just told us he'd go on walks for hours and no one could find him. Almost the entire gang missed our regular target, but Dudley seemed reluctant to fight with his cousin. Their relations hadn't improved at all, so I was surprised at Dudley's change in heart, which had started back when we were starting secondary school.

Looking over at Dudley, I noticed that he had an anxious face on as he stopped his bike. We followed his lead and suddenly Dudley's expression hardened before he hopped off and strode confidently towards Potter.

Potter was in an odd position, lying flat on his back in the tall grass of the park. My mind started thinking of insults to get him up with, but Potter suddenly shot up, glaring around warily.

When he spotted us, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, but I was surprised to notice a smirk playing around his lips.

"I'd wipe that smile off your face if I were you, Potter!" Malcolm called out, noticing the same thing I did.

Potter favored him with a slightly disdainful glance, before looking at his cousin, raising his eyebrows challengingly. "I'd leave if I were you, Big D."

Dudley glared. "Like I'd listen to you, freak."

I was surprised to noticed Potter's eyes darken slightly in anger. "Then you'll have to meet some of my acquaintances."

"Like you've got anyone, Potter," I called out, but I was surprised to see Dudley take what seemed like an involuntary step backwards.

Potter smirked. "I don't know why you'd think that. I happened to be having a wonderful conversation with some of them until you disrupted the peace."

Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon looked around, confused, but I kept my eyes fixed on Potter as he bent down.

When Potter straightened up, a snake was wrapped around his wrist, beginning to slither up his arm. He glanced down at his leg and his smirk grew as I saw another snake twisting its way up his leg.

Dennis, who had a terrible fear of snakes, stifled a shriek and Potter seemed satisfied.

Malcolm and Gordon looked at Potter warily. Dudley looked angry but also a bit terrified. I thought the boy was nuts.

"You lost your mind, Potter? Wouldn't surprise me, criminally insane as you are…" I taunted.

The boy looked angry for a moment before his expression became eerily calm. "You're in dangerous territory, Polkiss," he said, gazing at his snakes with a small grin.

"It'll get you kicked out of that freak school of yours," Dudley spoke out loudly, eyeing the snakes apprehensively.

He didn't think Potter could actually sick the snakes on us, did he?

"But I wouldn't be breaking any rules," Potter's grin grew. "This is a natural ability and my school won't be alerted. So what's it going to be, Big D? Save yourself or your reputation?" Potter said mockingly.

I was stunned to notice that Dudley seemed to be actually thinking about the offer.

What was Potter talking about? Was his school magically alerted when he did something criminal or something?

"He's bluffing," Gordon called out, his voice scathing. "Get him, Big D."

I watched as Dudley's face became determined and he stepped closer to his odd cousin.

Potter grinned disturbingly before turning his head to his right. The snake that had been on his arm had slithered up to drape over his shoulders. The snake who'd been on Harry's leg had attached itself to Potter's right arm.

Potter let out a strangled hissing sound. My jaw dropped as both snakes lifted their heads slightly to look at him. They both let out hisses.

Potter flicked a glance at us, a smirk on his face, before hissing again. The snake on his shoulder began to coil up and bared its fangs at the gang and I, a quiet hissing issuing from its mouth.

The snake on Potter's arm slithered down his body quickly, landing on the grass and raising its upper body up, also baring its fangs.

"I don't see why you'd be worried," Potter said mockingly. "I thought I was bluffing?"

The snake on the ground darted forth towards Dennis, who couldn't help a small shriek.

Potter almost looked sympathetic for a moment before smirking again. "Really, boys, relax. I told them that they weren't allowed to do too much damage to you."

The snake on the ground lashed out again and nearly bit Dennis who'd had enough and took off running. Gordon, who'd been close by, followed our frightened friend.

Malcolm was shaking and the snake sensed it, striking at the scared boy. He backed off quickly and ran.

I glanced nervously at Dudley to see what to do, but Dudley was staring at Potter in horror. "I'll tell Mum and Dad. They'll do something about you, freak!"

Potter's eyes darkened again but his voice was bitter. "You really think I care, Dudley? It's worth it after the hell you've put me through. But I'm not cruel like you. As much as I'd like to hurt you, snake bites are a bit too physically painful. I'd much rather get you back in a spectacularly humiliating way. I'd be watching out for that if I were you."

Potter glared at Dudley and then me before looking down. Another few hisses, somehow a bit gentler sounding, and the snake on the ground slithered up to drape over one shoulder while the other one slid to the other shoulder.

"You know," he said casually, "snakes really are excellent conversation partners. Much more intelligent than you and your gang, Big D."

And with that last insult, Potter walked off, hissing to his snakes.


	2. Ginny Potter

**Chapter Summary:** Ginny hears Harry speak Parseltongue for the first time in a while and thinks of its odd effects on her.

Ginny's POV

"Mummy!" Lily squealed as she came running up to me. I picked up my five-year-old daughter and settled her on my hip.

"What's up, Lily?" I asked her, smiling as she immediately latched her arms around my neck.

"Daddy's outside with Jamie and Al," she said. "They found a snake!"

"A snake?" I asked curiously, trying to hide my worry. Harry wouldn't let the kids near something too dangerous.

She nodded eagerly. "Daddy was talking to it! I want you to come see it."

I set out towards the garden, feeling a bit nervous. I hadn't heard Harry speak Parseltongue in years as it wasn't a very practical language when you spend time around humans. I wasn't quite sure what my reaction to the language would be after what I'd been compelled to do with it.

I could easily spot the three messy heads of my boys. James was eight – far too old – and Albus was only a bit younger at seven. My boys were growing up too fast.

Harry was kneeling on the ground and James and Albus were staring at him with rapt expressions. I could see something small moving in the grass near Harry's hands.

I inched forward carefully, making sure nothing I heard would cause an overreaction on my part.

"Daddy, ask him what his favorite color is!" Albus exclaimed excitedly.

Harry grinned, as did I, but I listened hesitantly as Harry opened his mouth.

That strangled hissing sound came out of his mouth and my mind tingled, seeming to remember the brief time that I spoke that language.

It was incomprehensible now, but I could seem to understand the inflection. Harry's tone was polite, curious. The snake hissed back and when Harry replied, it seemed almost like a chuckle.

"He likes the color green," Harry told our sons, and I was surprised that I almost missed his Parseltongue. It was oddly… exciting.

"How come?" James asked, ever curious as he looked down at the small brown-green snake that I could now see.

Harry once again consulted with the snake, and I closed my eyes, letting the hisses roll over me. I thought that I should be afraid of that power, the power that Voldemort had channeled through me to hurt so many at my school, but I couldn't bring myself to fear it if Harry was using it. I knew Harry would never hurt me on purpose, so the hissing seemed to lose its menacing edge in my mind.

"He says he likes it because he likes grass. He spends a lot of time in grass," Harry smiled.

The boys seemed disappointed with this answer, but their enthusiasm wasn't dampened. "Ask where he lives, Daddy!" James exclaimed.

The low hisses were now sending shivers down my spine and I think I let out an involuntary sigh, as Harry looked up, saw me, and abruptly stopped his hissing. His eyes were wide, apologetic.

"Keep going," I smiled reassuringly, setting Lily down near her brothers so she could ogle the snake.

Looking slightly surprised, Harry glanced down again and spoke to the snake. His soft hisses were far more endearing than the hisses of the snake, reassuring me that it was my husband, and not some remnant of Voldemort's possession that was causing me to gravitate toward the sound of the hissing.

"He lives in a burrow over near those trees," Harry pointed in the distance.

"Like the Burrow?" Lily asked, confused.

Harry and I chuckled. "No honey," I explained, "these burrows are like underground tunnels and homes."

"I wouldn't want to live underground," Albus said and the other two nodded solemnly, agreeing.

The snake began to hiss, startling me. Harry hissed back for a few moments then looked at our children. "I'm sorry, but he says that he needs to get back to his burrow."

The children looked sad and James asked, "Will you tell him that we say good-bye?"

Harry nodded and turned to the snake, letting out a quick hiss. The snake replied in kind before slithering off.

He stood up and the children lingered for a moment before doing the same. As I brushed myself off, I said, "James, Al, Lily, I'd like it if you went and washed up. We need to have lunch soon."

"Lunch!" James exclaimed and hurried down towards the house. Albus and Lily followed soon after.

Harry slipped an arm around my waist. "You're fine with Parseltongue," he said quietly.

I knew enough about my husband to realize that he was asking for an explanation. "I am," I agreed for a moment. "I was afraid I'd have a bad reaction, which is why I came out so slowly," I admitted. "But when you spoke the first time then stopped, I kind of… missed it. I like when you speak Parseltongue," I blushed slightly, for some reason feeling almost like I was revealing an embarrassing secret.

"Like it, eh?" Harry teased, sounding relieved.

"It's rather sexy," I said at first to just tease him back, but realizing that it was probably true.

"Snakes, sexy?" Harry wrinkled his nose, obviously equating snakes with some of our least favorite Slytherins.

"Parseltongue is," I shrugged, remembering the shivers it had sent down my spine. "At least, it is when you speak it. Just shows how much I love you, I guess," I said casually, smiling up at him happily.

Harry turned me around to face him and clasped me tightly against him. His face was in my hair – he always tells me that he loves the smell of my hair, that it's part of the smell in his Amortentia – and I felt him taking deep breaths.

Crushed against his chest, I felt as he moved his head to the right. Suddenly, I could feel his hot breath on my ear and I tensed, wondering what he was going to do.

He inhaled sharply for a moment before letting a soft hissing come out, breathing the unknown words into my ear. It was probably the most sensual thing I'd heard before.

I closed my eyes, holding back a moan. "Say that again."

He did and I smiled gently, reveling in that soothing, gentle hissing.

"What are you saying?" I finally asked after I managed to get my mind to focus again.

"I love you forever," Harry said simply. "I am yours and you are mine."

I pulled back to beam at him and pull him into a kiss, his words running through my mind over and over again.

When we broke apart, I grinned wickedly at him. "So I'm yours, you say. Why don't you prove it, Snake boy?"

His eyes narrowed, but he smirked as he brought my lips to his once more, deepening it quickly as our mouths moved frantically against one another.

We were startled away from each other by a loud bang coming from not too far away – the house. The kids…

Harry muttered something under his breath and I knew it was something along the lines of what I was thinking. _Bloody kids_.

"Time for lunch," I said unenthusiastically.

Harry turned me around for another mind-blowing kiss. He pulled back after only a few moments to nip at my ear and hiss something.

My body suddenly felt hotter and I had to control a blush as Harry grinned at me and began to saunter towards the house.

I may not understand Parseltongue, but I knew enough about his tone to realize that he could only be saying one thing.

_Later_.


End file.
